Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,464 in Manama versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,367 in Manama versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,270 in Manama versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Manama is roughly 16% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 9% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 BHD 2.45

$4.56 ฿149

42.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 BHD 20.08

$46.63 ฿1,519

14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 BHD 2.88

$8.47 ฿276

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$5.22 BHD 1.97

$3.03 ฿98.6

72.28%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$0.69 ฿22.45

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$0.37 ฿11.92

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 BHD 2.94

$2.49 ฿81.0

213.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.66 BHD 4.02

$3.66 ฿119

191.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 BHD 0.64

$2.18 ฿71.0

-22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 BHD 0.48

$1.90 ฿62.0

-33.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 BHD 0.87

$2.20 ฿71.6

5.45%

Eggs

$2.49 BHD 0.94

$2.22 ฿72.4

12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 BHD 3.22

$19.99 ฿651

-57.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 BHD 2.97

$3.66 ฿119

115.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 BHD 3.78

$13.25 ฿432

-24.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 BHD 0.92

$3.23 ฿105

-24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BHD 0.77

$1.70 ฿55.3

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 BHD 0.67

$2.39 ฿78.0

-25.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 BHD 0.46

$2.08 ฿67.7

-41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BHD 0.36

$1.59 ฿51.8

-40.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

$1.48 ฿48.31

-29.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.03 ฿33.54

39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 BHD 0.33

$0.52 ฿16.83

67.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 BHD 2.56

$4.25 ฿138

60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 BHD 6.88

$18.79 ฿612

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 BHD 1.26

$1.76 ฿57.2

89.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 BHD 1.21

$2.76 ฿89.8

15.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$1.36 ฿44.32

-41.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.72 BHD 11.96

$11.36 ฿370

179.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 BHD 1.72

$3.14 ฿102

45.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.89 BHD 1.47

$1.04 ฿33.74

274.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.18 BHD 9.87

$13.77 ฿448

90.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 BHD 0.19

$1.34 ฿43.79

-61.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K BHD 14.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

34.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.7K BHD 7,807

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-38.83%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$121 BHD 45.54

$124 ฿4,025

-2.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.63 BHD 10.04

$13.52 ฿440

96.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.82 BHD 14.26

$18.69 ฿609

102.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 BHD 26.65

$61.8 ฿2,013

14.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.42 BHD 16.74

$17.25 ฿562

157.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 BHD 3.98

$9.14 ฿298

15.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$387 BHD 146

$703 ฿22.9K

-44.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,865 BHD 3,341

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-44.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.59 BHD 17.18

$59.5 ฿1,937

-23.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 BHD 23.79

$35.07 ฿1,142

80.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 BHD 30.84

$115 ฿3,754

-29.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 BHD 33.00

$84.1 ฿2,737

4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 BHD 302

$619 ฿20.1K

29.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 BHD 207

$433 ฿14.1K

27.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 BHD 685

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-11.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 BHD 454

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-20.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,621 BHD 988

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-28.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,975 BHD 744

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-24.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,333 BHD 879

$507 ฿16.5K

360.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

5.33

60.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Manama: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Manama and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 360% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Manama vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $293, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Manama pays 360% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Manama versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 179% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $387 in Manama versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,464 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.